Luke 19:10. “For the
Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

It’s true: your father and I are dumpster divers!

When
Dad and I were newly married we used to take a walk almost every night. It was
our favorite part of the day and we would stroll all around Lake Hiawatha, New
Jersey, while we dreamed about the rest of our lives. Often on the weekly garbage night, we would find special treasures hidden in other people’s trash.

One Saturday evening we came
upon the dumpster in our apartment complex and saw that someone must have had a
garage sale and discarded all that hadn’t sold. We started our search and found
several fun and useful items that we took home. Today we still have the
Trivial Pursuit game that we pulled from the dumpster that night. Somebody
else’s trash became our treasure.

In
Jesus’ time as well as today people tend to put other human beings in
categories. “Those people are wealthy and important. Those people are talented
and influential. Those people are beautiful and famous. Those people are
worthless and ‘trash.’”

The
Pharisees were considered to be the rich and famous of Bible times. They also
were very influential in all areas of politics and religion, yet they did
not recognize Jesus for who He was, the Son of God. They despised Him and
sought a way to get rid of Him. They did not want to relinquish their power
and prestige to anyone, not even the Creator of the universe. They thumbed their
noses at every person they deemed unworthy and discarded anyone whom they
considered “trash.”

Jesus
is not like this at all. He sees all people as what they are – sinners loved greatly by God. When confronted with those who despised and found fault
with Him for spending time with loose women, tax collectors, and other society cast-a-ways, His response was, “the Son of Man came to seek and save those
who are lost.” He did not come to save those who feel they are special and
worthy. He came for those who recognize their sinfulness and their need for His
saving grace. The Pharisees ‘“trash” became Jesus’ “treasures.”

If you ever feel like you’ve been treated badly and discarded by the proud of
this world, or if you believe your sin is too great to be forgiven, just
remember – our God is a dumpster diver . . . and you are the treasure He is seeking.

The verse of the day is Matthew 13:44. ” The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

It is beautifully warm day with a delicious breeze blowing the tree branches by my window. I am sitting in my chair reflecting on a busy day. We had an auction and because of the nice weather a number of people left early to enjoy the sunshine and work in their yards. I was surprised, though, that a number of buyers left to go mushroom hunting. I was told that today was probably the last day to find these honeycomb-like capped morels, and they were anxious to see what they could find. Though I have never hunted for these myself, I have tasted the delicious flavor when they are breaded and fried.

Besides enjoying the warm weather and the joy of the hunt, many spend time searching for these hidden treasures because they are found only at certain times and are expensive to buy in the store. It is worth the time and effort for the rewarding side dish at the end of the day.

In today’s verse Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure hidden in a field. According to Jesus’ parable this treasure is worth so much that when a man found it, he hid it again, and then sold all that he had to buy the whole field. This heavenly kingdom, the present and future realm in which Jesus Christ is king over all the earth, and the blessings that stem from being a member of this kingdom are worth more than all the world has to offer. Any sacrifice made to be followers of King Jesus are nothing compared to the rewards of belonging to Him.

All are welcome to be part of His kingdom. He made it possible by His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, but He asks us to give our lives completely over to Him trusting in His guidance and care. Anyone who has found this treasure knows that the joy received is worth all the cost of discipleship.

If mushroom hunters will spend hours scouring the edge of forested areas, sometimes moving deep into the woods searching for the tasty morels, then why not search for the treasure God has to give. He promises you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart. Today may be the last day to find mushrooms but there is a better treasure waiting to be found. Start your search today and you will find the greatest treasure there is!

Love,
Mama

Welcome to Verses From Mama. Open these letters and receive words of truth, healing and hope written to all who long for a mama’s touch. ~Sandy